Toy.



No. 817,316. VlA'IHEINTJ) APR. 10, 1906. M. L. HARDlNG & A. I. HOXWORTH.

TUY.

APPLICATION FILBD JAN. 1v. 190e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 817,316. PATENTED APR. 10, 1906. M. L. HARDNG @1; A. 1. HOXWORTH. TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17,1906.

2'S'HBBTB-SHEBT 2.

, @Hanny/2) I To alt whbm it vta/y concern/.-

' STWENT FFCE, .N.

ALBERT 1. iioXwoarn, or MAnNlNeroN, "i weer VIRGINIA. n

MELviN L. -HARmNe AND Nasr'aeie.

Be it known that we, MELVIN L. HARDING and ALBERT I. Hoxwon'rn, citizens of the United States, residing at Mannington, in the county'of Marion and State of West Vir inia, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Toys, of, which the following 1s a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in toys, particularly `1of that type known as wizard-boxesH or Jack in t e Box, and the object of the invention is to provide a toy of this character which will embody improved mechanism for automatically releasing the doors which hold the spring-projected dummies or figures in contracted osition.

Qur invention consists, essentia ly, of certain new and useful improvements and'cony. tional view taken a out on the median line of structions and arrangements'of parts in a de! vice of this character, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and 'also to# acquire a 'knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had Lto the following description and ,accompanying drawings,`in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our inven= tion, p art being'broken away.J Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof on a sli htly-l reduced scale. Fi 3 is `a ho'rizonta sec the box or casing. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of oney of the latches and unlatching-rods. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail erspec-l f, tive viewsof the spiral rod upon wu 'ch the Winged Plunge? mOVS and a view of the plunger detached, i

Corresponding and like parts arel referred v to in the followin description and indicated in all the .views o the drawings by the same reference characters,

Referring tothe drawings, the numeral 1 l designates a box or casing which may be of any desired material, shape,'and ornamentaf tion. In the present instance the box, as f shown, is oblon and rectangular. The box or casing 1 Jis divlded by transverse partitions 2 into two end compartments 3 and an intermediate or middle compartment 4,. which is preferably of greater area than the endcornpartments 3. The end compartments 3 are in- Specification of Letters Patent.

j Application led January 17. 1908 Serial N.' 2967.543.

or figure .5, which may be of any desired provided with a spiral sprin 6, covered by`a sultable textile fabric 7 to orm the body of the figure. mounted by a hea 8, which may beA of any deslred.y design, an

the two figures may be Each ofthe end compartments 3 is provided with a4 door 9,.which is preferably hinged within one edge of the casin 1 and isidesi ed to fit within the sai end with its ot er ed e resting upon a plate 10,'secured within t e' compartments and terminating short of an adjacent end edge of the casingl The free end of each door is provided with a material or design. and fwlich 'is preferably suitable keeper, which in the present instance resented Alim 16,1906.

The body `of each figure is surboth alike or different 'from each othen naled to rock about its lon itudinal axlsnn the casing and ttin with t e said bent end` Aand a portion of its ength also within a recess 16 on the rear side of the plate 11. The rods 15 constitute the unlatchin -rods for the latches and extend through tile partition,

and each of said rods extends through one of the partitions to the other partition, where it terminates in another bent end 17, extending alongside of the'adjacent partition and provided with an offset or lateral extremity 18, projectingl outfrom the face ofthe said partition. f l, i

19 designates an obliguely-disposed cleat having a recess 20, within which the free end 1,7` of each rod fits, so as to limit the move-r. ment of said rod in either direction.

A spring 21 has one end coiled around the free end of the rod`15 to secure it thereto and is also coiled around the rod itself and hasits other end secured to the casing, las shown, so as to always return the rod to the' roo , osition where the latch will be projected to L A `its maximum extent into the end compartment for en agement with the respective door 9." Eac latch is preferably beveled, soif that the doorfmay be closed and its keeper' tended to contain a spring-projected dummy will spring past the latch and be automaticated and that the plunger 22 is ally vheld in closed position until released by the unlatching rod 15.- The unlatchingrods, it is to be understood, are arranged on opposite sides of the box or casing/,1 and extend in opposite directions,as shown, with their offset extremities at opposite ends of the middle compartment 4.

yIn order to effect an automatic release ofthe doors 9 in order that the spring-projected figures may pop out of their respective compartments, we have provided a Winged plunger 22, provided with a central shank 23, aving a splral opening 24 therethrough, the said opening receiving a ,correspondingl shaped or threaded rod 25. Thel latter pre erably extends in 'a longitudinal direction centrally ofthe middle compartment 4 and is maintained in place by having its ends secured in the two artitions 2. 22 is provided wit two oppositely-extendmg lu s 26.

'iin the practical operation of our improved toy the box or casing l 1s set on either end, the doors being locked in closed position. It will be assumed for the purposes of description that the device has already been operat the up er limit of its movement on its spiral rod. IiSy gravity, then`,the plunger, which is ypreferably of some sufiiciently heavy material, will descend on the rod and at the same time Will rotate, andwhen it reaches the lower limit of its movement one of its lugs will strike the free end of that unlatching-rod 15 which controls thel uppermost door 9. This action will result in automatically retracting the latch for said door and the consequent releasing of the latter, so that the spring-projected figure may pop out of the compartment and afford the surprise and amusement that a device of thisnature is characterized to impart. Then by closing the door that has thus been opened and reversing the box end for end the plunger lwill swing around and down to release the other door in a manner that is obvious.

It is to be understood that the box or casing 1 is entirely closed on all sides, preferably in a permanent manner, socas to hide the door-releasing mechanism.

Having thus described the invention,what is claimed as new is- A 1. A toy of thek character described comprising a box or casing divided `into two end compartments and a middle com artment, spring-projected figures in each o said end. compartments, doors designed to hold said figures contracted and within the respective compartments, and means located in the middle compartment for alternately and automatically releasing the said doors.

2. A toy of the character described comprising a box or casing divided into two end compartments and a middle com artment, spring-projected figures in each o said -end compartments, doors designed to hold' said masia The plunger figures contracted and Within the respective compartments, and means for alternately' and automatically releasing said doors, said means being operated by gravity.

, 3. A toy of .the character described comprisinga box orcasing divided into two end compartments, and an 'intermediate compartment,spring-projected figures in said end compartments, doors arranged to hold said figures contracted in the res ective compartments against the action of t eir springs, an unlatching device for each door, a spiral rod in said intermediate compartment and a weight or plunger mounted on said rod and arranged to move thereon by gravity and to turn thereon also, said plunger being designed to effect therelease of said doors, as and for the pur ose set forth.

4. A toy of t e character described, comprising a box .or casing divided into two end compartments and a middle compartment,

spring-projected figures in the end compartments, doors arranged to hold said figures in contracted condition, latches for holding said doors locked, an unlatching-rod for each door, the said rods being arranged for actuation at the end of the middle compartment op osite the door controlled by the respective rodis), and a weight or plunger arranged for free movement from end to end of said middle compartment, and means for rotating said luner in its movement, the said plunger eing designed to engage withv the respective unlatching-rods, as and for the purpose set forth. v

5. A toy of the character described, comprising a box or casing divided into two end compartmentsv and a middle compartment, spring-projected figures in the end compartments, doors for holding said figures in contracted condition, unlatching-rods arranged to release the respective doors and each of 'said rods provided with a bent end located near the middle compartment contiguous to that partition which is farthest away fromK IOS IIO

the door controlled by saidl rod, a spring secured to each of said rods and designed to hold thesame in one position whereby to hold the doors in locked osition, a spiral rod mounted centrallyl of the middle artition and 'a weight or plunger provide with a said plunger being designed to move by gravity on said rod and to turn into engagement with the said unlatchin'g-rods whereby to release the doors. p

6. A toy of the character described, comprising a box or casing divided into two end compartments and a middle compartment,v

spring-projected figures in said end com artments, doors hinged to thecasing 'an designed to hold said figures in contracted condition, the free end of said doors being provided with keepers, latches projecting into IISv spiral opening receiving said rod and with wings extending in opposite directions,l the the said compartments Jfor engagement with said keepers, unlatching-rods mounted in the middle compartment and designed to rock therein each rod being secured to a l'atch at one end and having lits other or opposite end bent and provided with an offset extremity, cleats secured to the end Walls of the compartments and provided with recesses re ceiving the bent ends of said unlatching-rods whereby to limit the movement thereof, springs secured to said rods and arranged to rock the same so as to project the latches into engagement with their respective keepers, a spiral rod mounted in the middle compartment and extending longitudinally thereof, and a plunger provided with a spiral opening by which it is. mounted to move on said spiral rod and alsoprovidedwith two oppositely-extending wingsand With lugs designed to contact with the oiset extremities of the unlatching-rods.

47. A toy of the character described, comprising a box or casing, a spring-projected igure in said casing, a door hinged to the casing and arranged to hold said figure in contracted condition, a latch for holding said door closed a rocking unlatchingrod mount ed in the casing an operatively secured to said latch, a longitudinally-extending spiral rod in the casing, and a gravity-plunger mounted to move longitudinally and to turn on said rod, and arranged for operative engagement With the unlatchingerod, substantially as s et forth.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures m presence of two Wltnesses.

MEININ L. Elimine. [a a] ALBERT I. noxwoarn. [n e] Witnesses:

C. R. BEALL, W. M. Hass. 

